Passengers will benefit from new Government efforts launched today (Monday 19 October) to tackle antisocial behaviour on transport, including £100 fines on buses and a new campaign to discourage ‘loudcasting’ on trains.
Today, guidance was issued for local authorities to support their new powers to crackdown on loud music, littering, vaping, and threatening behaviour on buses – including being able to issue fixed penalties of up to £100 for those who cause trouble.
‘Loudcasting’ on public transport has become one of modern life’s most irritating parts of the daily commute, and today a new national campaign aims to encourage rail passengers to “share the carriage, not the noise” to improve the journey experience for all, as part of the Government’s everyday fixes. The industry-led campaign will include audio reminders of the rules in place on the rail network, and if a passenger refuses to stop when asked by authorised rail staff they can be removed from the train at the next station or face fines up to a maximum of £1,000.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham said: “We’ve all been on the train when someone starts blasting music or videos from their phone. It gets on your nerves and can quickly spoil the journey.
“So, we’re launching a nationwide campaign reminding passengers to use headphones on trains. On top of that, we’re giving local leaders new powers to tackle loud music, vaping and littering on buses.
“It’s a simple thing, but one that will make journeys that little bit better for all of us.”
Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander added: “It is so frustrating when the actions of an inconsiderate few spoil journeys for the rest of us, whether that is vaping, littering or blasting music out loud. Even small changes in behaviour can make a massive difference to people’s experience on public transport.
“That’s why we’re empowering local leaders to shape bus services around the needs of their communities and taking advantage of publicly owned Train Operating Companies to encourage people to be considerate of others on public transport and reminding them of the potential consequences if they aren’t.”
The powers for authorities on bus enforcement were made possible by the Bus Services Act 2025, meaning all local transport authorities across England are able to set and enforce their own local rules. Bus drivers will not be responsible for enforcement. Instead, authorised officers, including Transport Safety Officers and the Police will be able to deal with incidents. Officers will follow a three-step approach: engaging with the person, explaining the rules and their impact on other passengers, and taking enforcement action if they refuse to comply.
The rail campaign will end the patchwork of current campaigns across different rail operators, helping create a clear, consistent message across the network. Most operators will feature messaging across websites, social media, in carriages and at stations, and will include posters and announcements. The campaign demonstrates how, under public ownership, train operators can push for a more joined-up operation to focus in on passenger experience to effectively tackle antisocial behaviour.
The legal power for all local transport authorities in England to crack down on nuisance behaviour on buses came into force on 5 August 2026. Today’s guidance will help them put these new local rules into practice, with each byelaw needing sign-off from the Secretary of State before it can be enforced.
Ben Plowden, chief executive of Campaign for Better Transport commented: “Antisocial behaviour, like noisy phone use, vaping and littering, are not just irritating: they can be a real deterrent to people using public transport, especially people with different accessibility requirements. If these new powers are properly and visibly enforced, they should help everyone feel safe and comfortable on public transport and enjoy the ride.
“We can all do our bit by showing consideration to our fellow passengers: keeping bags and feet off seats, looking up and offering our seats to people who need them, or vacating the wheelchair space straight away when required.”
Image credit: Gov.UK
